Yōhime
''Character Outline'' Yōhime is a human noblewoman who lived 400 years ago, the wife of Nurarihyon and Rihan's mother, who possessed the power to heal sickness/injuries. She was kind but sheltered and only saw the outside world after meeting Nurarihyon, who spirited her away from her family's home to give her a taste of the real world. She was targeted and kidnapped by Hagoromo Gitsune, but was rescued by Nurarihyon after a grueling battle. ''History'' ''400 Years Ago'' Yōhime, who possessed the power to heal injuries and sickness, was frequently approached by people with ailing family members. After she cured one boy's severe illness and the boy's parents gave her a considerable amount of gold in gratitude, her father decided to take advantage of the people's desire for healing. Though Yōhime had no intention of denying people healing due to their monetary status, her father began charging exorbitant fees that only the wealthy could afford. Due to her healing ability and the belief in Ikigimo, she was targeted by yōkai looking to increase their own power by eating her liver. After one yōkai nearly succeeded, Yōhime's bodyguard Koremitsu gave her the exorcist's blade Nenekirimaru to use for her own protection. Shortly after, she received a yōkai visit of a different nature - that of Nurarihyon. When he stated his desire to "have her", she mistook it to mean he was after her liver as well and managed to cut a gash in his arm with Nenekirimaru. The open wound startled Yōhime, and she immediately used her power to heal it. The action impressed Nurarihyon and further piqued his interest in her, but he ultimately fled when Koremitsu came down the hallway after having sensed a yōkai presence. Before leaving, Nurarihyon offered Yōhime his name and she subsequently told a worried Koremitsu that everything was fine. As the days passed, Yōhime came to realize just how stifling her life had become - especially since her father wouldn't allow her to leave their mansion. At one point, Nurarihyon turned up again in her room and tricked her into taking his arm so he could "kidnap" her and give her a taste of life outside the mansion's walls. He brought her with him to Shimabara, where the rest of the Nura Clan was staying, and she soon found herself playing games with the likes of Nattō Kozō, Sannokuchi and Tōfu Kozō. Nurarihyon suddenly proposing to her was a shock, but he was true to his word about returning her home by the following morning. He continued to try and convince her to marry him, but she stated that she wasn't the sort of person he thought her to be and believed him to only be interested in her powers. Once Hagoromo Gitsune began seeking princesses with abilities, Yōhime's father was approached by Satori and Oni Hitokuchi under the pretense of making Yōhime one of Hideyori Toyotomi's concubines. Her father's greed resulted in his own death and Yōhime was forcefully removed from her mansion and brought to Ōsaka Castle. There, she had to watch as Hagoromo Gitsune killed Miyakohime and Sadahime but she was spared the same fate by the timely arrival of Nurarihyon, who had come to rescue her. A battle ensued between Hagoromo Gitsune's forces and the Nura Clan, with Hagoromo Gitsune herself holding Yōhime captive while Nurarihyon struggled to combat his opponent without harming her captive. Yōhime, unable to understand why he would risk his life to such an extent for her, kept shouting at him to stop but was ultimately touched by his genuine declaration of love for her and his desire to have her by his side always. Nurarihyon managed to significantly injure Hagoromo Gitsune and chased her to the rooftop while Gyūki kept guard over Yōhime, whom Hagoromo Gitsune had released in her hurry to flee. After Nurarihyon's victory, Yōhime climbed up to the rooftop as well in order to heal his injuries and accepted his love for her. They were eventually married and had Rihan. ''Appearance'' Yōhime appears as a beautiful, young, petite woman with long black hair that frames her face, and she was often considered Kyoto's number one beauty. Her eyes are a light brown and she tends to wear kimono with sakura markings. ''Personality'' Yohime is a pure-hearted and caring woman whose innocence about the world at large is due to having lived a sheltered life. She is kind and seems to get along well with both yōkai and humans, though anything that endangers her husband and/or son can send her into a rage likened to an erupting volcano. ''Powers & Abilities'' Yōhime has the power to heal and cure wounds even though she is human. Her ability is extremely powerful, as seen by her being able to cure a supposedly incurable disease. Her healing works quickly on human and yōkai alike and can even counteract wounds caused by Nenekirimaru, which is designed to harm yōkai. She is never seen using her ability on herself, so whether she is incapable of doing so remains unknown. ''Weapons'' * Nenekirimaru – An exorcist's sword that can only harm a yōkai, given to her by Koremitsu as a preventative measure against yōkai seeking to eat her liver. She wielded the sword for a short period of time, only using it once. When she was taken to Osaka Castle, she left Nenekirimaru behind and it came into Nurarihyon's possession. ''Relationships'' Nurarihyon The first person who cared about her for herself, rather than for her powers. Though he held a genuine love for her from the start, she was unable to see or understand it at first. After the birth of their son, she worried constantly about her husband and preferred he not get involved in unnecessary fights. Even after their marriage and the birth of their son, she continues to call Nurarihyon "Ayakashi-sama". ''Trivia'' * Yōhime ranked 9th in the first popularity poll with 386 votes and 20th in the second with 154 votes. * In fansubs, her name is often mistakenly written as "Princess Yō" instead of Yōhime. * Her name can be translated as "Sakura Princess" and she is frequently associated with sakura flowers during the series. Additionally, she states that she was born when the sakura were in bloom. ''Navigation'' Category:Female Characters Category:Nura Clan Category:Human